# How many black americans REALLY celebrate Kwanza? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 25, 2002, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822 "2002-12-25T05:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/21 "2002-12-26T21:55:10Z")
Aaron McGruder in [The Boondocks](http://www.ucomics.com/boondocks/2002/12/25/) addressed this question yesterday ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/22 "2002-12-26T22:22:38Z")
[Here](http://www.columbusalive.com/2002/20021219/121902/12190217.html) is a bit more. > [@](#): > > Kwanzaa started with author and educator Maulana Karenga, who wanted to give his fellow African-Americans a non-religious, non-heroic holiday all their own, focused on their culture rather than a particular faith or particular person. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/23 "2002-12-27T01:24:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyomara \* > \*\*Er…so you’re saying that Kwaanza was invented by white people? I’d like to see you prove that. The only thing worse than sensetive white liberals are reactions like this by knee-jerk, “anti-PC” vigilantes. \*\* I’ll confess I don’t know a whole lot about it- other than what some of the days represent- which probably isn’t too odd since there are few minorities in this state to learn about it from, but AFAIK, Kwaanza was started by a black PHD holder a couple or three decades ago, so it wasn’t invented by whites, PC or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/24 "2002-12-27T15:25:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by japatlgt \* > What is the proper Kwanzaa salutation? From here: [http://www.msnbc.com/local/kxas/A1433595.asp](http://www.msnbc.com/local/kxas/A1433595.asp) > [@](#): > > The greetings during Kwanzaa are spoken in Swahili. The greetings are to reinforce awareness of and commitment to the Seven Principles. A person will be greeted with “Habari gani?” They respond with: On the first day, Umoja; on the second day, Kujichagulia; on the third day, Ujima; on the fourth day, Ujamaa; on the fifth day, Nia; on the sixth day, Kuumba; and on the seventh day, Imani. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/25 "2002-12-27T18:37:47Z")
The Master has spoken on this topic: [What’s Kwanzaa?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/941223.html) ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/26 "2002-12-27T19:49:08Z")
I’m definitely a lame white boy, brought up in a very white society, but my girlfriend of several years is black and I’ve met an interesting cross-section of black people as a result. I have yet to meet anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa. My girlfriend pretty much thinks it’s a joke, but she’s Christian, so it should be fairly obvious what she celebrates. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/27 "2002-12-28T00:34:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Er…so you’re saying that Kwaanza was invented by white people? I’d like to see you prove that. The only thing worse than sensetive white liberals are reactions like this by knee-jerk, “anti-PC” vigilantes ok…ok, IT was invented by a black guy. A black nationalist guy. THis is worse then I first thought. From what I’ve found out (inspired from this thread) what I first though as a pitty, joke holiday is looking more and more like a racist holiday. A very bad racist holiday. [http://www.kwanzaapeopleofcolor.homestead.com/](http://www.kwanzaapeopleofcolor.homestead.com/) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/28 "2002-12-28T00:37:25Z")
Just to add, I don’t mean those people who celebrate kwanzaa are racist in doing so, just the roots of kwanzaa. Then again that website does say they support the 1,000,000 man march which IIRC had more like 10,000 men. ---
**Author:** ![BeatenMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@BeatenMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeatenMan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/29 "2002-12-28T02:29:52Z")
Kwanzaa=socialism=hate America=democrat votes. It is a political holiday. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/30 "2002-12-28T08:00:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BeatenMan \* > \*\*Kwanzaa=socialism=hate America=democrat votes. It is a political holiday. \*\* :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/31 "2002-12-28T08:00:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BeatenMan \* > \*\*Kwanzaa=socialism=hate America=democrat votes. It is a political holiday. \*\* Huh?!?!? I don’t recall any Democratic candidate using the Kwanzaa issue as a ploy to get votes. Was this a topic of discussion at the last John Birch Society meeting? If Kwanzaa did become a partisan issue in the next election, we might get to hear George W. Bush proclaim: “Read my lips–NO MORE KUJICHIGULIA” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/32 "2002-12-28T22:35:00Z")
Allow me to interject for a second. Kwanzaa is not _just_ celebrated by African-Americans, but by Blacks in general. My aunt and fam (Black Costa Ricans) celebrate the holiday as well. And as for this business about Kwanzaa being invented as a pity holiday for us poor negroes, it was founded by Dr. Karenga. Karenga also happens to be head of the Black studies dept. at Cal State Long Beach in case anyone cares… …now back to how evil Kwanzaa is. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/33 "2002-12-28T22:59:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MeanOldLady \* > \*\*…now back to how evil Kwanzaa is. \*\* Yes, we’re all here bashing Kwanzaa. :rolleyes: Obviously, you did not read the thread. After the OP, there were [ul] [li]some iterations of interest in the answer[/li][li]two solid answers (thanks **tlw** and **even sven** )[/li][li]some other points of interest[/li][li]a site from **UncleBill** telling us Dr. Karenga started it[/li][li]the usual twits with inane comments[/li][/ul] Your point that it is also celebrated outside the U. S. could have been interesting. Please read for comprehension next time. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822/34 "2002-12-29T01:03:42Z")
**This Year** , relax. That was called a joke. I’m not trying to say the bulk of the people on the thread are bashing Kwanzaa. Get off my back for kidding around. Jesus… :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-black-americans-really-celebrate-kwanza/144822.md?page=1)